Tour of Qatar STAGE 2 **(Spoiler)***

24

Comments

  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    afx237vi wrote:
    Interesting stuff. That was a quality group near the front... Boonen, Gilbert, Ballan, Burghardt, Haussler. Great effort by Mol and Steurs though.

    http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12678941

    I know I was stating the obvious, but still.
    8)
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Sack Brailsford now!!!!!
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    :-D
    Le Blaireau (1)
  • eh
    eh Posts: 4,854
    Interestingly though two Brits in the top 10, but both are old hands at this game and equally will be tragetting races over the next few Months rather than in July.

    Can't find more than a Top 10 at present so can't comment on the rest.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    That a breakaway succeeded in these type of conditions is pretty cool.

    I didn't watch it...did EBH have a puncture then was unable to get back to the lead chase group becuase of the wind?

    Or was Sky's wheel change super slow?!

    And do they have their Jags with them?
    Contador is the Greatest
  • Percy Vera
    Percy Vera Posts: 1,103
    Puncture yes.

    No Jag - everyone had 4x4's supplied
  • William H
    William H Posts: 61
    By the time we got pictures, EBH was in the second chase group and probably wouldn't have got back anyway even without the puncture.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Sky were pretty comprehensively shelled out... EBH should have been up there

    like to have seen how and when the echelons developed
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    Sky probably just forgot to remove the tape from their helmets after the TTT yesterday and overheated today.

    When EBH punctured, did Stannard wait for him?
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    LangerDan wrote:
    Sky probably just forgot to remove the tape from their helmets after the TTT yesterday and overheated today.

    When EBH punctured, did Stannard wait for him?

    no

    wouldn't have helped
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Quite Frankly
    Quite Frankly Posts: 386
    I think the puncture cost EBH about 2 minutes on the Boonen group. He was in the second group on the road pre-puncture and I think that group only finished about a minute behind Boonen's group compared to the 3 minutes for EBH's group. Exact timings aren't available yet though.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Results:

    http://www.letour.fr/2010/TQA/LIVE/us/2 ... index.html

    9 minutes down for EBH, 11 minutes for Wiggo.
  • maltiv
    maltiv Posts: 34
    Sky did an absolute horrible job today, and should be embarrassed. The whole team failed completely, no support for Edvald, no one got into the right group...just horrible. A pain to watch.
  • Quite Frankly
    Quite Frankly Posts: 386
    afx237vi wrote:
    Results:

    http://www.letour.fr/2010/TQA/LIVE/us/2 ... index.html

    9 minutes down for EBH, 11 minutes for Wiggo.

    Cheers.

    The puncture actually cost EBH over six minutes (finished 9.43 behind the stage winner with Thomas). Stannard came in at 3.33 down, only 50 seconds behind Farrar and 1.38 behind Boonen, Gilbert and co.

    Disastrous day for Sky and really poor that they didn't have at least one of their top six on GC riders up at the front of the peleton when the split took place.
  • Quite Frankly
    Quite Frankly Posts: 386
    It's worth pointing out that Garmin also left Farrar completely isolated and Columbia were nowhere to be seen.

    Cervelo did a great job.
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    Seemed to me that it was largely those riders/teams who are very strong in the northern classics style races who did well - which we should expect. Riders like Boonen and Hammond have a nose for doing well in that kind of race.

    I wouldn't read too much into EBH - it's still the silly season, he might have had a poor puncture, or just takes a little longer to find his legs.

    Maybe Sky need to turn down the wick on the "we rinsed everyone, boo sucks to everyone else" when they win.

    Why not be happy in victory, rather than rubbing everyone elses face in it?
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • maltiv
    maltiv Posts: 34
    He had a puncture indeed, which lost him about 6 minutes as no one from team sky even tried to help him back in the peloton.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    I have no worries about EBH in these conditions. He is a super hard rider. Wins often in bad conditions: Gent and Giro stage springs to mind in 2009

    I know he is used to bad conditions in training too. I think he went for a 6hr training ride in the snow or something like that.

    1.2568456!img2568438.jpg
    0.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    EBH finished 42nd, which is only a 1/3rd of the way down the field. I doubt if he'd had any help it would've been much better.

    They got shelled in the cross winds. I'm not sure what people expect from them? To be some kind of uber team who never lose out? The difference between yesterday and today is they could control a lot of the variables yesterday, but they couldn't today. It's not track racing and all these marginal gains don't add up to a stack of crap in cross winds.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Quite Frankly wrote:
    It's worth pointing out that Garmin also left Farrar completely isolated and Columbia were nowhere to be seen.

    Cervelo did a great job.

    true enough

    i was little surprised by EBH missing the move....... which happened well before his puncture
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    edited February 2010
    iainf72 wrote:
    EBH finished 42nd, which is only a 1/3rd of the way down the field. I doubt if he'd had any help it would've been much better.

    They got shelled in the cross winds. I'm not sure what people expect from them? To be some kind of uber team who never lose out? The difference between yesterday and today is they could control a lot of the variables yesterday, but they couldn't today. It's not track racing and all these marginal gains don't add up to a stack of crap in cross winds.

    well you said it.... this road cycling thing ain't the track. or a premier calender "like" city center crit

    I think it is a bit of a wake up call for Sky.. they were in the driving seat after the TTT

    that said I think they will come though with the goods...
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    iainf72 wrote:
    EBH finished 42nd, which is only a 1/3rd of the way down the field. I doubt if he'd had any help it would've been much better.

    They got shelled in the cross winds. I'm not sure what people expect from them? .

    Given EBH's talent for conditions like that, and the likes of Boonen, Gilbert, Hammond etc in group 2, I think the reasoning is that EBH should have been among them.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    iainf72 wrote:
    EBH finished 42nd, which is only a 1/3rd of the way down the field. I doubt if he'd had any help it would've been much better.

    They got shelled in the cross winds. I'm not sure what people expect from them? To be some kind of uber team who never lose out? The difference between yesterday and today is they could control a lot of the variables yesterday, but they couldn't today. It's not track racing and all these marginal gains don't add up to a stack of crap in cross winds.

    True, but maybe that's what makes people roll their eyes when we see yet another puff-piece about the lava lamps on the Sky bus or their super-hi-tech jerseys with extra room for their adam's apple and so on... and on and on and on. None of it really makes that much difference at the end of the day.

    I think when you have a new team that has so much (largely self-created) press hype as Sky, people are going to be watching and waiting to pick holes. It's just natural.
  • Quite Frankly
    Quite Frankly Posts: 386
    iainf72 wrote:
    EBH finished 42nd, which is only a 1/3rd of the way down the field. I doubt if he'd had any help it would've been much better.

    They got shelled in the cross winds. I'm not sure what people expect from them? To be some kind of uber team who never lose out? The difference between yesterday and today is they could control a lot of the variables yesterday, but they couldn't today. It's not track racing and all these marginal gains don't add up to a stack of crap in cross winds.

    I disagree with that. When the Eurosport coverage started EBH and Stannard were in the second group only 25 seconds behind Boonen et al. If another 3 or 4 Sky riders had been there on the front chasing I fancy that they would have shut the gap down.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    As I always say, let the legs talk not the words. EBH and Contador are both quiet characters who crush their opponents.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Has EBH actually proven himself in cross wind type conditions. Take a look at his performances in 09, and specifically in the northern classics. Good ride in GW but the rest of them weren't particularly spectacular.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Quite Frankly
    Quite Frankly Posts: 386
    Twitter reactions:

    Wiggins:

    ''Usual day in Qatar today, enjoying the racing in the sun, good day in the saddle today, managed to stay away from the shitfight aswell.''

    Shitfight?

    Downing:

    ''That was carnage!!!!!!''

    De Jongh pre-stage:

    ''Ready for the start. A lot of wind''

    :roll:
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    edited February 2010
    iainf72 wrote:
    Has EBH actually proven himself in cross wind type conditions. Take a look at his performances in 09, and specifically in the northern classics. Good ride in GW but the rest of them weren't particularly spectacular.

    Fair enough, but Ghent Wevelgem was about as windy as they get!
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Yes I think that race was the best example of crosswinds all year round.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • sing_for_absolution
    sing_for_absolution Posts: 1,908
    Wow, epic fail for Sky today. Still new team I guess. They'll learn.

    Good stage for Gilbert/Boonen and co. Their spring classics preparation has had a good start.

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